Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-06-06
agricultural department.
Corn Culture.

the hill it will insure a quick start
but after attaining six or eight inch
es in height it seems to stop anC
think there is no phosphate outside
of the hill.
| OF the two ways in which the corr
is planted, hill and drill, / prefer hill
cultivation. | think it insures {
cleaner and more thoroughly worked
corn field: it is much easier and cost:
less to cut up in the fall | can raise
as many bushels per acre as any
man can that drills.
| think the proper distance al
which corn should be planted in hills
is three feet, nine inches, and have
it average three stocks to the hill
allow no suckers to grow. One good
ear Is worth two nubbins, and is
husked in half the time.
Level cultivation is a success.
The marker should never make a
furrow more than four inches deep,
and the corn covered l Il to inch
es. 1t then can be narrowed several
times and the furrow will be filled in.
But in case it should be a heavy soil,
the hill can never be put down as lew
as in the first case. The harrow
should never be used on such a field,
because the hill is apt to be disar-
ranged and others torn out, and sod
dragged. You will then have to
take your next best tool that can be
regulated as to depth.
Straight rows are another great
help in working corn successfully.
| will tell YOU how to have them
straight when planted by hand. En-
deavor to mark your burrows as
straight as possible. Finish mark
ing both ways before you commence
planting. Plant the way you marked
the first time. Be sure to not have
the corn scattered in the hill. The
dropper must stop when he comes to
the cross. He can not get it ahead
of him going, and ahead coming
back, thereby making zigzag rows.
As long as corn is small have no
objection to working the soil as deep
as you please, and that is the only
time it should be done. When corn
gets to be knee high without stretch
ING the leaves) and from that until
the iplows are laid aside, work it
shallow, not to exceed three inches.
In case of drouth, do not stay out
of the field for fear of running it, but
keep stirring the soil. You will
thereby retain and gather moisture
which otherwise would be lost. !
think One-tenth more corn can be
raised by going through corn twice
after seeing the first tassel.
The time for cutting up corn
should never be before it has had
at least two frosts. Corn, as long
as there are no frOsts, must be ma
turing, and when frOsts come it
checks the sap at once, husFs loosen
up more readily, and when cut up in
that stage of maturity never sours,
and cattle relish it better than clover
hay.
The most practicable way to cut
up heavy corn, and the easiest. is tC
make the shocks consist of 6 by Z
rows; that is, 6 rows wide by deep.
1t will make the shocks plenty large
to stand well, and it cures out quick
er. 1t also makes two bundles of
fodder. A corn horse should be used
in forming the shock. 1t obviates
bending over two hills of corn, which
are liable to break and twist the
shock, and in short time be on the
ground. And then again, these are
the two hills that must be cut off be-
fore the shock is pulled down or per-
haps the husker will pull the shock
down and leave the two hills stand
ing, which looks badly, besides is q
| loss of fodder.
At time of husking let two of these
rows of shocks be husked together,
! putting four shocks on one pile of
corn, and there will be eight sheaYes
of fodder to be put in one shock; if
larger shocks are desired, husk -four
more and put IS bundles together.
Cribbing naturally follows husking.
Corn should be assorted at time of
hauling, taking first all good and
solid corn, leaving the small and soft
corn to be handled after the best is
secured.
There is no doubt but what q
great many insects and enemies to
corn are killed by turning the soil
up late in the fall. / think grub and
wire worms are injured more than
the cut worm CutwOrms will give
most trouble in old pastures that
once were in clover, and bluegrass
has taken possession. 1t makes an
excellent field for corn, but if /
thought | was going to be troubled
with them | would take last year 5
clover field, or last years wheat
stubble that had been MANFRED well
and seeded in with spring clover.
Flowing a crop of stubble and clover
down insures a good crop of corn
and there will be no trouble with
cutworms. This way of procedure
is the best remedy and prevention
against insects / have ever learned